Seeing Red
by Athena13
Summary: Starts October 31, 2005: Jolie. A serial killer is targeting red heads in Llanview. Some changes to the prior timeline.
1. Chapter 1

Seeing Red  
By Athena13

A/N: Just as I gave Jackie a story I wanted to see, she gave me this story nugget and is working with me to flesh it out. This story picks up on Halloween 2005 in Llanview. Since it's my (our) story I've made a few timeline changes to suit myself - the stupid Daniel story never happened, CAM never came back and Ginger is not related to her and Nora never went into a coma.

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Part 1

She couldn't make out the words being spoken around her, nor could she taste the dirty martini she was sucking down. The masticated olive slid over her tongue and down her throat in a wash of alcohol. She didn't notice people pushing past her in the throng as she was pushed from side to side. Everything else was a blur and buzz. All she could see was them.

She always saw them. Touching each other, looking at each other as if no one else was there. Taunting her. She slid her eyes down his strong body to his waist and below. Her breath quickened and her nipples hardened under the tight-fitting leather cat woman costume she wore.

It had always been like this, except now she was sleeping alone. Before she would be able to walk up to him and press her breast against his arm or slide her hand over the front of his pants. She  
would parade her scantily clad and firm body before him and push him to the nearest closet or elevator. She would pretend that his arousal was for and not for the sparkling red head he would invariably be watching, talking to or thinking about.

Natalie. The name was heard in her head, as always, as a hissing whine. Her temples pounded as she turned her head and contemplated the voluptuous Buchanan twin. Hate heated her body temperature as she drained her umpteenth drink.

"She's watching us again, John." Natalie said under her breath to John.

John sighed and turned their dancing bodies so that Natalie was out of her sight. He had hoped that all these months of avoiding his ex-lover would give her the hint that she should move on. He unconsciously caressed the skin left bare at Natalie's waist by her genie costume and pressed his arousal against her pelvis. Although he played it cool with Natalie, he wasn't unaware that Evangeline turned up more often than not wherever they were and watched them. He had also seen the calculating gleam in her eye turn into anger and now fury as he didn't fall in line with her expectations. It was his own damned fault, he admitted wryly. For the entire length of their relationship he had fallen into line with what she wanted – except for one thing, he had never told her he loved her. It was a bald-faced lie he could never push past his lips, even to keep the peace and, he pulled Natalie closer, protect his heart from the battering promised by the fiery red-head in his arms and his passion for her.

"I'll talk to her."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Not alone." Natalie's arms were twined around his neck and she turned them so she could peek at her former rival.

"I think I can take care of myself." John chuckled and dipped a finger into the bejeweled half-top at her back.

"She's scary, John. I don't know what you ever saw in her. And don't." She pinched his neck. "Answer that!"

"I would never dream of it." John laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then his expression sobered. "But I should talk to her. I'm just not sure…"

"Sure of what?" The song ended and they clapped for the band. She took John's hand and led him to the bar on the far side of the dance floor away from Evangeline and waited their turn to order. In the close quarters and the dim lighting John, dressed as her "astronaut master" in his black suit looked supremely hot and not too different from FBI John. She wondered if they had been there long enough that no one would comment on their disappearance from David and Dorian's Halloween  
Wedding at Capricorn.

Then she sighed and remembered they hadn't even done the cake cutting yet – the big orange and black cake with the glow in the dark decorations that David insisted on – and having been pressed into service along with Kelly, Blair and Adriana as a bridesmaid to her mother's Maid of Honor she had to stay. At least the costumes the bridesmaids had to wear were cool, well, hot, actually.

"Sure of what?" she prompted John as he handed her the open bottle of beer the bartender knew without prompting to give them.

John took her elbow and led her to a relatively vacant spot. "I'm not sure anything I say will make a difference," he said.

"She needs to win. I'm the enemy and you're the villain. Blah, blah, blah. Enough about her tonight. Let's enjoy ourselves. Maybe I can get my mother to speed things up and we can get out of here and be alone?"

Before John's lips touched Natalie's his cell phone rang. With a frustrated groan he dug the thing out of his pocket and noted that caller id. "I gotta take this." He handed her his beer and walked out a side door.

"Can I help you?" A gravelly voice startled Natalie from behind. She turned, her hands filled with the two beers, and tried to figure out who was that masked man.

"No, thanks. Who are you?" Something about the man seemed familiar, but she couldn't place him underneath the costume.

"This unfortunate lost a daughter once. It has driven him mad and now he seeks to claim you for his own." The lips, visible under the mask covering the rest of his face curved into a smile and a tongue darted out and moistened the pale lips. But despite the smile, she saw hardness in the dark eyes looking out from the mask that gave her pause.

"It's naught but a line from the Zorro movie, my sweet. No need to look so worried." His gloved hand reached up and caressed the wisps of hair that had fallen out of the pony tail she wore on the top of her head in a jewel encrusted band.

Natalie pulled back from his grasp and bumped into someone. "Rex!" she said happily as she turned around. Rex, wearing his cowboy outfit turned and enveloped his sister in a big, drunken hug.

"Hey!" she pulled back laughing, having already spilled some of the beer on his red shirt. Feeling a chill on her neck, she remembered the guy she was talking to. She turned around, about to ask Rex if he knew who it was, but he was already gone. With a shrug she turned back to Rex.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I found a new song I am in love with - "Nikki Don't Stop" by Low Millions. Nice soundtrack to this part.

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Part 2  
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"Thanks for the ride, Rex. You know you..." Natalie turned to her brother sitting in the passenger seat of the dark car.

"Don't, Natty. I don't need another lecture on how Jen loves Riley and I should move on." Rex banged his head on the steering wheel.

"Didn't look that way to me tonight, except for when you were talking to Blair and Todd's nanny. That looked pretty passionate." Natalie  
waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I wasn't talking to her." Rex scowled out the windshield.

"What were you doing?" Natalie laughed.

"Telling her to mind her own business. She told Duke." Rex mocked the name before continuing. "That Adriana kissed me."

"Did she?" Natalie asked, amused. "She's a bit young for you, don't you think? Unless you're into the money?"

"I considered it once, a long time ago." Rex shrugged and smiled. "Good night, Natty." Rex turned and pressed a kiss to his sister's forehead.

"Night, Pardner." Natalie giggled and got out of the car and walked into the Angel Square Motel.

She walked into the lobby and was struck once again by the outrageous Halloween decorations Roxy had her put up last week. She loved Halloween and the chance to dress up like someone else. When she was a kid it was the one time she didn't feel too different from her school mates or ashamed of Roxy because if there was one thing Roxy did right it was Halloween.

She was just a bit tipsy and, when she walked into John's room, a bit disappointed that he had been called away for work. She had been so looking forward to putting the provocative costume to use. She dropped her crumpled genie cap and veil she had pulled off as soon as the ceremony was over on to the couch and walked into the bedroom area. She ran her hand over the new silky duvet she bought, along with new matching sheets, and sighed.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the light. She squinted and looked at herself in the medicine cabinet mirror. Freaked a bit by the image, she closed her eyes and grabbed her face cleanser. Once her heavily applied genie make up – some of which had smeared beneath her eyes – was removed she reached up and unfastened her hair from its binding. With a relieved groan she rubbed her scalp and brushed her hair into a soft halo around her face and shoulders and down her back.

As she put the brush down on the small sink counter she was startled by the feel of fingers sliding through her hair. She gasped and looked up in the mirror and saw John. A lazy smile tilted her lips.

"I didn't hear you come in. You scared the heck out of me."

"Sorry." He deliberately kept their eyes locked in the mirror and ran his fingers through her hair and down, over her neck and back. His  
eyes sparkled devilishly as he felt her shiver. "That costume," he said with a sigh in his voice.

His voice was rougher than normal; roughened with desire she knew and she shivered again for the knowing of it. She watched through the mirror as he continued to run his fingers over her. She could feel the tension in his body behind her even though they were not touching and there was a shadow in his eyes that she recognized. Whatever the case was that called him out tonight was not resting easy in him. Not that any of them did, but there was something about this one that had struck a nerve. She wanted to know what it was, but more than that she wanted to give him ease so she put it aside for now and let him lead.

When he stopped caressing her and put his hands on her shoulders she knew that he was not finding escape. She turned and handed him his toothbrush. She ran her hand over his cheeks and then down his chest. "Let's get ready for bed." She picked up her toothbrush and settled them into the rare routine of normalcy.

A little while later John walked out of the bathroom and saw that Natalie sat in the chair across from the bed. "Coming to bed?" he asked.

"In a manner of speaking. Take off all your clothes and get on the bed." Natalie stood up, still in her costume, her hair spilling down  
her back.

"Yes, Ma'am." John slowly stripped off his sleeveless t-shirt, slacks and underwear, his eyes barely leaving Natalie's intent gaze. He  
lifted an eyebrow at her as he uncovered the evidence of his arousal to her sight. Once he was naked he lay propped on pillows against the headboard and waited.

Natalie walked over to the foot of the bed and allowed herself a lingering study of her lover's body.

"Natalie." His voice was a plea and he grasped the duvet at his side as her gaze burned and aroused him.

"Remember when we talked about the Winking Pussycat?"

John nodded, his eyes widening.

"I didn't just learn to play pool. I never performed there, but I picked up a few things over the years."

"Yeah?" John's voice was a harsh whisper.

Natalie nodded and began to sway her hips as if there was a sultry song playing in the background. John's gruff swear fueled her  
movements. With a skill that John hadn't even fantasized about Natalie performed a tantalizing striptease. Hands stroking, hair flying, limbs flowing. Slowly, very slowly she unhooked the back of her top and twirled it off to the side.

John's hands moved closer to his pulsing erection as he saw her ample breasts revealed and teased under her fingers. His eyes tracked the movements. Over hardened aureole, cupping full breasts and then down stomach to hips. He cupped himself, his breathing now almost panting, as she pushed the handkerchief pants off her hips and down her legs, leaving her swaying hips only swathed in the small fabric of her thong underwear.

"I need you," John groaned, his hips lifting as if she was straddling him as he smoothed a condom over himself. His heels dug into the bed  
as she slid a finger under the strings at her hips. She circled the bed, just out of reach of his seeking hands.

Just when he was going to get up and grab her she pushed the thong down her hips and thighs to the floor and climbed onto the bed and did straddle him. Her wetness smoothing over his weeping cock, her own breathing hitching at the erotic contact.

John buried his hands in her hair and then his tongue in her mouth. Their gasps and moans the only sound in the room as their skin touched and moved urgently against each other.

He slid into her waiting wetness, his hands sliding down her back as she arched, pushing her nipples towards his face. It was a temptation he didn't deny himself as he filled her pulsing core and she filled his questing tongue. She cried out as he pressed up into the part of her that connected to her entire sensory system and nibbled on her aching nipple at the same time.

Again, again, again, he pushed into her as she pushed down and he tasted her. Suddenly she gasped and began tightening around him,  
milking him to his own powerful completion.

When they were cleaned up and lying under the duvet John pulled her on top of him and held her tight, smothering her in his embrace.

"John?" Natalie put her hand on his chest and lifted her head to look into his worried face. "What's wrong?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Seeing Red**

A/N: Another timeline change I should mention - John never opened the DNA results on John Doe and the person in prison never remembered who he is.

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Part 3  
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Natalie walked into Llanfair hoping that someone was home and had news on how Jess was doing at St. Anne's. She and John were supposed to be spending this Sunday together, but since the murder last night behind the old Crossroads building, which he would only describe as violent, he had to go into the office today. She had offered to come in, but both John and Bo had told her to keep her day off since she would be plenty busy tomorrow as they got deeper into the background checks and interviews. So, here she was at Llanfair feeling at loose ends.

"Darling, I didn't know you were coming over." Vicki was sitting in the sun room drinking coffee and reading the Sunday Banner, which she folded up neatly and put next to her plate of breakfast.

"John had to work so I thought I'd visit. Where's Dad?"

"Your father went to BE. Another fire to put out." Vicki put her cup down delicately and lifted the silver coffeepot and poured Natalie a cup. "I just don't know how Asa and Kevin survived without him."

"I think Grandpa's trying to convince Dad to stay," Natalie said.

"I think you got Asa's number." Vicki laughed. "Well, how about you and I spend the day together?"

"I'd like that. Is there any news on Jessica? They won't let me speak to her yet." Natalie's expression betrayed her worry and frustration.

"It's going to be a slow process to integrate the personalities. I want to see and talk to her myself too, but I understand that she's not ready yet."

"But you could be of so much help to her!" Natalie protested.

"Or harm. I believe that whatever happened to Jessica one of my other personalities was involved. Probably Nikki."

"She doesn't like your kids much does she?" Natalie asked as a chill ran down her spine, her own run-ins with her mother's alter still a vivid memory.

"Not very much at'tall," Vicki confirmed. "Enough about that, how are you doing? You and John?"

"We're great." Natalie beamed. "I never thought I could be this happy again. Oh, Mom, he loves me."

"That's wonderful, Sweetheart. I'm so happy for you. John is a good man. I never doubted that he cared for you."

"But you were worried, that he couldn't open up to me. Like he was with Evangeline, but she just wasn't the right woman for him. I just wish…"

"You wish what?"

Natalie frowned down at her coffee. She wanted to choose her words carefully. She didn't want her mother to think she was a jealous shrew. "It's Evangeline. She won't leave John and me alone. She's always there."

"She loved John, she has a broken heart. And not too long ago you were the one always showing up where they were," Vicki reminded her.

"But with me and John it was always different. When I tried to keep away he wouldn't let me. He couldn't keep his eyes off me. Evangeline's always watching us, showing up at work, at Rodi's and even at the hotel a couple of times. It's kind of creepy," Natalie said.

"As a defense attorney she does have business with the police and the other two places…"

"Mom, I know you're trying to see the best in Evangeline and I love how you do that with everyone, but I'm not imagining it. No other defense attorney hangs out at the police station. And when she's at the hotel she says it's to visit John's own brother or Marcie. It's strange, trust me."

"I do, Honey. If it's really a problem I think John is the one who needs to deal with it. Evangeline is a successful woman and she's probably not used to losing."

"Yeah, well, I wish she'd lose far away from me and John." Natalie took a bracing sip of the hot coffee.

"Oh, I didn't think you were going to be here today," Evangeline said as she steadied herself with a hand on John's bicep, stroking it lightly.

"Working on a Sunday, just like you." John cleared his throat. He stepped back out of her reach to let her pass down the hallway they were both walking down in opposite directions when they collided. He'd had his head buried in the case file and hadn't seen her until it was too late.

"Oh my!" Evangeline gasped and put her hands against her chest as she caught site of the grisly crime scene photos in his hand. "Is that what called you away from the wedding last night?"

"Yeah." John closed the file. "I need to get back to work. Have a good day." He started to walk past her when he suddenly had an impulse. "Actually, would you like to get a cup of coffee with me?"

"Oh, yes, John. I'd love that. We said we were going to remain friends, after all." She batted her eyelashes and smiled seductively at him.

John's eyes narrowed. "I'm just going to lock this up in my office. I'll meet you out front. You need longer to finish your business?" he asked.

"My…oh, no, I was just leaving."

The exit was in the opposite direction from the one she was heading in when she bumped into him. John refrained from commenting, but it confirmed that he needed to have the dreaded talk with her sooner rather than later.

John put his hands on his hips and watched Evangeline stalk out of the coffee shop, mowing down a couple of hapless customers in her path. With a frustrated sigh he picked up and tossed her forgotten drink into the trash and carried his out with him. That had not gone as well as he had hoped, but about as bad as he expected. He had taken her to Hallowed Grounds with the usual futile-man-hope that she would not make a scene in a public place.

As they stood in line waiting to order their drinks, Evangeline had refused to leave his side to get a table, he noticed that she kept touching him and making references to things they had done in the  
past. She also kept brushing her breast against his arm in that way she used to. Except now, instead of being turned on by the tease it pissed him off.

He had tried to be compassionate all these months, even going so far to excuse some of the backhanded comments she made about and to Natalie. Although, if he was honest, he usually let those pass to keep the peace and because she seemed to think he was too stupid to realize  
what she really meant. He'd even felt guilty for a while as he came to realize he had just been biding his time with Evangeline, hiding out with her to avoid Natalie even while he knew Evangeline was falling in love with him. His patience, however, was wearing thin.

They took a small round table off to the side and made small talk as they started their drinks. Then he took a deep breath and decided to get to the point.

"Listen, Evangeline, I asked you here to talk about something. Something about us."

"I knew it!" Evangeline leaned forward.

John squirmed as he saw her movements not only gave him a bird's eye view of her cleavage, but she had moved her crossed, bare legs closer to him.

"Oh, John." She clasped his hand on the table. "I knew you'd come around if I was just patient."

"Ahem, Evangeline. I don't know what you think I came around to, I wanted to talk to you about Natalie."

"Natalie!" Evangeline's eyes widened further. "Oh. Of course, you're worried about how to let her down and tell her about us. I totally understand your concern for her feelings. I was in the same position, after all. We must be delicate and present a united front."

John's face reddened as she kept talking, not letting him interrupt. At the same time, she was sliding her hand suggestively up his thigh. Finally, he grabbed her hand and took it off his thigh. "You're misunderstanding me, Evangeline," he said firmly.

"What am I misunderstanding, John?" she asked in that censorious tone that made him want to stamp his foot and pout.

"I wanted to talk to you about…I love Natalie, Evangeline. I wanted to make sure that you knew that. That I am with her and I plan to stay with her for…for…a long time. I never intended to hurt you and I'm sorry if I led you on in any way."

"You…you…LOVE her?" Evangeline shrieked the word love. "I thought you couldn't say the word!" She stood up in a huff.

"I couldn't say it to you, because I was never in love with you." John too stood up.

"You bastard! You used me. You always wanted her, that stupid little girl who is nothing, nothing compared to me!" She stood up. "You'll be sorry John McBain and so will your little slut!" She smacked him across the face and stormed out.

No, John rubbed his cheek as he walked into the police station. That had not gone well, but at least there could no longer be any misunderstanding. And he was sure once he told Natalie how he was manhandled she would make it all better. Grinning now he went to Bo's office to see if they had gotten an identity yet on the poor woman who had been so brutally murdered the night before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Seeing Red**  
Part 4

A/N: Thanks, as always, to Jackie, my awesome writing partner. We're gonna conquer the literary world! And you didn't even have to say anything about this one, just be my delay so I could change my mind g .

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"Thanks for dropping me off, Mom. I had fun shopping."

Vicki smiled doubtfully and indulgently at her daughter.

"I did!" Natalie insisted. "And I love everything you got me." Natalie held up two hands full of shopping bags.

"I did too. I'm sure Bo and John will be glad that you came in to help them. The reports on the news are very disturbing." Vicki's posh accent drew the words out very formally.

"John was really affected by the case last night. I want to help."

Natalie and Vicki said their goodbyes and Natalie walked over to her desk and stowed the bags in the corner behind her computer and powered up. As she waited she went to check the communal coffee pot and finding the coffee less than fresh went about preparing a new one. While it was brewing she walked to John's office to see if he needed a cup and to say hello.

Like Bo, he wasn't in his office. His desk was a mess she noticed with an indulgent smile and set about organizing it the way she knew he preferred and gathered up some files that he'd signed to check back into the filing system, just as she had trained him. Underneath a new file she found crime scene photographs. The sticker at the corner confirmed they were from last night's murder, the one that was plastered all over the newspapers and on the radio and television news.

Used to seeing photos like this because of her work at the station and her unfinished degree in criminal justice she didn't think anything of looking at them. The first few were of the scene itself, the alley behind Crossroads, which was disturbing enough, but the ones of the body itself had her heart skipping a beat.

An icy chill ripped through her body, her breathing quickened and a fine sheen of clammy sweat broke out all over her body. The image in front of her blurred.

John and Bo were talking quietly to each other as they walked back into John's office. They had just come from the ME's office where they were briefed on preliminary findings and the status of the fingerprint and DNA database search. No identification had been found on the body and no one had yet lodged a missing person report that matched the girl.

"Natalie?" Bo was the first to see her standing, trembling behind John's desk, clutching the photos.

"Hey? Natalie?" When she didn't respond to their calls Bo and John shared a look and John walked over to her. He put his hand over hers and covered the photos from her view. "You shouldn't be looking at those."

Seeming as if she had just realized she wasn't alone, as if John wasn't touching her, she turned her head to look at him. John took the photos from her hands and put them on the desk and put his hands on her cold cheeks.

"Sit down. Put your head between your knees." John pushed her down.

"Wait. Wait." Natalie pushed his hand off her shoulder and shook her head. She walked a few steps away and took a few deep breaths to compose herself. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

Bo and John exchanged a serious look and Bo quietly walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Who is she, John?" Natalie turned as the door closed and look at John.

"We don't know yet. She didn't have any identification. No purse."

"You should ask Roxy."

"Why Roxy?"

Natalie walked over to the desk and reached for the photos. John lifted them out of her reach.

"I'm fine. Let me show you something." John reluctantly handed them over. "Look here, her nails. That design is Roxy's. Only she does those symbols, see they look like the symbols on the playing cards from Parker's Casino in AC. Far off the boardwalk."

"I'll have a photo enlarged and have someone take it over, thanks. Are you okay?" John tentatively put his hand on her shoulder. "That's a tough thing to see."

"I've seen it before, John." Natalie was embarrassed to have been so affected.

"I was thrown when I saw it myself last night."

Natalie put her arm around John's waist and he pulled her in for a moment, touching their heads together, drinking in her comfort and returning a bit of his own.

"There was something else about it that bothered you," Natalie said when he let her go and put the photos back into the file.

John looked up at her in surprise, then sighed and put his hands on his hips.

"Her hair," Natalie prompted.

"I knew you were back at the wedding, safe, but when I saw her hair spread out like that. The color." John stopped and blew out a breath. "It was like back at the Diner, for a moment I thought it was you."

"Yeah, well, I'm safe and I made you fresh coffee if you want it." Natalie picked up the files she was taking out with her.

"I'll get some on the way to Bo's office. Thanks for coming in today." John walked over to the door and put his hand on the doorknob.

"John? Why is your cheek red?" Natalie walked over and put her fingers over the welt.

"I had that talk you've been nagging me to have with Evangeline today." John drew out the word "nagging" to show he was teasing. "Gonna kiss and make it better?"

Natalie leaned up and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I guess she didn't take whatever you said well."

"You could say that." John didn't tell her about the threats his former lover had made on her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Seeing Red – Part 5 **

A/N: Thanks for all of the encouragement! And, as ever, thanks Jackie for the assist! This one's for you – esp. since it's your story.

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She had planned to go back to Llanfair that night since John would be working to all hours of the night, in fact he probably wouldn't come home at all, but after putting her shopping in the car she didn't feel like it. So here she was at the Angel Square Hotel. Instead of going upstairs to John's room she walked over to the lobby couch and sat down and finally let loose the feeling of unease she had suppressed all day. The feeling that had come over when she first saw those crime scene photos. Goosebumps broke out over her arms again and with it a nagging feeling that she was missing something.

"Hey, Kiddo. Come by to see your Roxy?" Roxy sauntered in from the back and walked around the counter and dropped down onto the couch next to Natalie.

"I guess so." Natalie turned to Roxy and pasted on a smile.

"I saw those photos your lover boy sent over. That was my work all right, I should get that pattern patented, that's what I told that hubba hunka cop. Recognized her right away, Mara Kimmel. Came in regularly for her nails. She worked over at that bar."

"I know, Roxy. Thanks for helping."

Roxy narrowed her eyes and put her face right in front of Natalie's. "What's bothering you, Kiddo?"

"I guess I'm just creeped out by what happened to that poor girl." She gently pushed Roxy away and rescued her personal space.

"Yeah. I heard she was cut bad. But with you working over at fuzz central you'd better get used to it. Besides, it's not like you haven't seen that before back in AC."

"What do you mean?" Natalie frowned.

"When you were a kid. When you found that body. It was behind that dump we were living in at the time. I think it was the one on Baltic."

"I don't remember that."

"Phew, how could you forget?" Roxy shook her head. "You were about eleven or twelve or something. You were playing with your little hoodlum friends outside and saw the guy run out of the alley. You nailed the guy. I was so proud of you. Boy, did we have a celebration with the reward money. I got you that curling iron you wanted."

"I remember the curling iron, but not anything else." Natalie wrapped her arms around herself.

"Well. I remember. It was a weird, even for that neighborhood. The guy was using some other woman's scissors to kill working girls. I'd better get that." Roxy got up to answer the ringing phone.

"Why don't I remember? Scissors?"

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_There was blood everywhere. _

_Not just spreading out under the body, but splattered all over. Dripping down the dumpster next to the woman's head; on the brick wall of the building; on the litter nearby and on Natalie's hands. _

With a groan Natalie shifted restlessly in bed.

_Behind her she could hear a girl's scream. Where was it coming from? It couldn't be from the girl in front of her. Her face wasn't even discernible and her throat sliced. There was even blood coating her red hair. _

_No, wait. It was blond. Blond hair glowing in the semi-darkness of the alley. The red bright enough to burn her eyes. Burn through her hands. _

With a gasp Natalie sat up in bed and held her hands in front of her eyes, then wiped the moisture off her head and looked at them again.

"No blood," she gasped and as she wiped her trembling hands on the blanket. She glanced over at the clock and saw that it was still a couple of hours before she needed to get up, but she wasn't going to take the risk of going back to sleep and have another of those dreams. Not even being in John's bed and sleeping on the pillow that held his scent had been enough to stop them from plaguing her all night.

At the thought of John she looked around and confirmed that he had never come home that night. Feeling wrung out Natalie pushed the tangled sheet and blanket aside and headed for the shower.

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"I come bearing gifts," Natalie announced as she walked through the open door into John's office. "Well. You look like crap." John looked up, dark circles under his eyes and his hair far from its usual neatness, which told Natalie that he was really frustrated. If there was one thing John was vain about it was his hair.

"Gee, good morning to you. Actually." John tilted his head and studied his girlfriend over the piping hot cup of coffee she had handed him. "You're not looking so refreshed yourself and you're early. Rough night?"

Natalie shrugged and put the bag of bagels down on the desk.

"What you saw yesterday was rough, nightmares would be expected."

"I brought you a change of clothes." She evaded his comment and dropped the overnight bag she had slung over her shoulder next to his chair and leaned down and they exchanged a slow kiss. "Find anything new?" She sat down on the edge of the desk and dove into her own coffee.

"Well, you were right about the nail design, Roxy identified her, but apparently she's alone in this town. We're still trying to trace some family and we're out interviewing for friends. She doesn't have a work history either."

"Roxy said she worked at some bar. She brought it up and you know you can't stop her," Natalie defended in response to John's frown.

"If she did work at that bar it was under the table," John said.

Natalie frowned and took another sip of coffee. What was it Roxy had said last night she searched her memory.

"What's up?" John put his hand on Natalie's thigh. Before she could answer an officer came walking in.

"Lieutenant, we found someone…oh, Natalie. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." The Officer flushed and shifted nervously.

Natalie smiled at the rookie and got up from her perch. "We're done, James. Let me grab my breakfast and I'm outta here." Natalie reached in and grabbed a wrapped bagel and cream cheese from the bag. Natalie shot John a grin before closing the door behind him and heading for her desk.

>>>>>>>

A few hours later Natalie knocked on the door to Bo's office and walked in, a pile of reports and print outs in her hands.

She handed one set to John and another to Bo. She turned to leave when Bo asked her to hang back and close the door.

"I need for you take this up to the ME after I read it." Bo and John bent their heads to the files.

"This shouldn't be too hard to track," Bo said, looking up at John for his opinion.

"I don't know. This may come out of private collections, but at least it's not a mass manufactured knife. We should be able to put together a profile on a guy who would use sixteenth century women's scissors and check out other crimes using the same weapon. They're bound to pop up."

"A what?" Natalie asked, goose bumps breaking out over her arms and neck.

John looked over, as if he had forgotten she was still there until she spoke.

"It's called a bodice dagger. They're scissors and a dagger that women used to use to sew and, well, I don't know what," Bo explained reading the notes he had taken from the ME's report.

"Another woman's scissors," Natalie whispered, her face whitening.

"Hey." John stood up and pushed Natalie down on the couch and kneeled before her. He put his hands on her cold cheeks. "What's up?"

Natalie closed her eyes and shook her head. John stroked her hair off her cheek and waited.

"Something Roxy said last night." Natalie opened her eyes and looked at John. "Roxy said that I found a body in an alley when I was a kid. That I identified the guy who had killed her, he went to prison. She was knifed. It was a woman's scissors. Like you just said."

John swore under his breath and put his hands on her shoulder. "Is that why the photos yesterday freaked you out so much?" he asked.

"I don't even remember that. I had these dreams last night, but I don't know if they were because of what Roxy said. The girl, in the dream, she was blond. There was so much blood." All of a sudden Natalie jumped up and ran out of the office.


	6. Chapter 6

**Seeing Red – Part 6 **

A/N: Thanks for being my sounding board, Jackie. Thanks everyone for the lovely reviews.

>>>>>>>>

_From the last part: _

John swore under his breath and put his hands on her shoulder. "Is that why the photos yesterday freaked you out so much?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't remember. I had these dreams last night, but I don't know if they were because of what she said. The girl, she was blond. There was so much blood." All of a sudden Natalie jumped up and ran out of the office.

>>>>>>>>

John walked into the Ladies' Room partly hoping that no one but Natalie was in there, but pretty much not caring. He put the make up case he got out of her desk on the counter and looked underneath the stalls until he found the one she was in, still leaning over the porcelain god.

"You all right?" John knocked on the stall nervously.

"Geez, John. Go away." Natalie's strangled and impatient voice sounded, lessening John's concern, somewhat.

A moment later she stood up and opened the stall door and pushed past him to the sink. He dropped the bag in front of her as she splashed her face with water and drank it in from her cupped hands. He held out a wad of paper towels, which she took.

"Thanks," she mumbled and pulled out her toothbrush and toothpaste. "Can you wait outside now?"

"You okay?" he asked, running his hand down the back of her hair to her back.

She nodded and shooed him away.

John took a look around the room he'd never been in before leaving. He paced impatiently in front of the door until she came out. He handed her a bottle of water and took her into his arms. Instead of wiggling out of his arms as he expected, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his chest.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" John asked.

"The blood, I just keep picturing the blood." Her voice hitched and she trembled in his arms. "Shit," she exclaimed, still feeling nauseous and shaky.

"Close your eyes. Picture the roof. The stars. The sunrise. Music playing in the background." John continued to speak in a soothing tune, replacing the images that were haunting her with relaxing, loving images.

"Thanks." Natalie sighed and reluctantly pulled out of his arms and looked around, embarrassed to find out who might have seen her weakness.

"Why don't you go back to my office and lie down on the couch for a bit. Take a powernap. I'll be there after I talk with Bo." John guided her there. He knew that she wouldn't go home, but her pallor and reaction still alarmed him a bit.

"I'm not going to be able to close my eyes," Natalie said as John plumped the one skimpy pillow his couch boasted. After she lay down he covered her with his full-length wool coat. He brushed her hair off her face and pressed the ghost of a kiss on her cheek. He closed the door behind him and went back into Bo's office.

Bo looked up when he came in and asked how his niece was.

"I've never seen her so spooked." John sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Do you think Roxy's telling tall tales?"

"I don't know, but I called her and got an approximate timeframe on the story so we could check it out." Bo held out a slip of paper to John who looked at it and then nodded at Bo and walked out.

>>>>>>

John put the phone down and looked over at Natalie who was asleep on the couch.

Roxy, it seemed, had gotten it right. It had been easy to track down the case, too easy. The records spanned the ACPD, the court clerk and CPS – Child Protective Services who had looked into Natalie's living arrangements since she had been out in the middle of the night at aged eleven witnessing murders.

He ran a hand over his face, he was feeling more tired than was warranted for only being up for two days. He dropped his hand and continued to study Natalie. He knew early on in their acquaintance that she had a core of steel, that her life hadn't been easy, but the more he got to know her and about her life he could only marvel at who she had become.

He got up and walked over to her, straightening the blanket he grabbed from the locker room over her shoulder. He softly smoothed her hair.

So many people with her beginning – a drunken gambler for a mother, no father, abused – ended up no better themselves, perpetuating the cycle with their own kids and romance with the bottle. But not Natalie. He quietly walked out and closed the door behind him and headed for the fax machine.

He didn't have all of the records yet – most of those were archived and required subpoenas, which he asked Hugh to work on. He also had a call into NJ Department of Corrections to find out the disposition of the case. But he'd gotten an old contact at the ACPD to send over the case cover sheet while the rest of the records were retrieved. It was there waiting and he picked up the sheets addressed to him and flipped through the pages. He did a double-take when he saw the name next to "Investigating Officer" – Peter Russo. He closed his eyes and recited the badge number from memory and said a silent prayer of thanks that it had been his father's former partner who had taken care of a young Natalie during this time.

Pete had been a good man and a good cop. He and his father had been a virtually unbeatable team when they walked the beat and later when they both got promoted to detective. He was also great with kids, which he could attest to as Pete had been there for him and Michael when his father had died. He took the cover sheet and went to see Bo and fill him in. He was sure Bo would be just as concerned that Natalie didn't remember what happened.

>>>>>

"Do you think this is related to our case?" Bo asked, holding back his own thoughts to get John's fresh perspective.

"The murder weapon is the same and that's rare enough, but by no means enough to assume this the same guy who committed a crime thirteen years ago in Atlantic City. The victim was brutally stabbed and sliced, pre and post-mortem, but there were no definitive patterns or order that we've managed to match up yet. Back in AC this was a serial killer, we've only had one body. It's too soon to say."

"And I don't want to wait until we have more women killed on our watch to figure it out. I'm thinking it's related." Bo's face was grim.

"Could be a copycat?"

A knock sounded at the door, Bo looked up and waved whoever it was in.

"You all right?" Bo and John stood up as Natalie walked in.

"I feel fine, I didn't sleep well last night." She shrugged and walked over to them. Bo and John sat back down. "Do you need anything?"

"We do. Have a seat."

Natalie looked from Bo to John worriedly.

"Roxy's story checked out. We're still waiting for the case files, but it happened. You don't remember anything?" Bo asked.

Natalie shook her head and looked down at her hands.

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off," Bo offered.

"Absolutely not. I'm fine. I just got a little spooked. Too much coffee on an empty stomach. I'm going to go back to work now." Natalie took the files off the corner of Bo's desk and walked out.

"I'm going to assign a couple of detectives as a preliminary task force in case this escalates," John said and stood up.

"Good idea. I'm going to call Balsam and see if he can find out anything," Bo said.

John made a face and walked out.

>>>>>>>

"Your order will be up in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Mac." Natalie sat down on a stool at the bar she used to work on. She was glad to be off her feet. Since her upset earlier in the day she had been on her feet trying to make up for lost time and, she admitted, drown out her swirling thoughts. How could she not remember seeing something like a dead body when she was a kid? But she'd seen it in black and white when she got copies of the reports off the Internet, transcriptions of her own words, the things she'd seen. It was disturbing, to say the least.

"Is this seat taken?"

Glad to be interrupted, Natalie turned towards the questioner. He was an older gentleman she had never seen there before. "No, go ahead." She waved at the empty stool.

"May I buy you a drink?" The words were measured, but Natalie could hear a slight accent she couldn't identify nonetheless.

"No thanks. I'm just waiting for a take out order," she said.

"Too bad. You are really quite lovely."

"Thank you." Natalie wasn't unused to strange men saying strange things to her in bars, but there was something a bit creepy about it coming from a man old enough to be her father. Especially since the flattering nature of the sentiment was not reflected in the hard dark eyes. She felt a knot forming in her stomach as he continued to stare at her; his pale lips were tilted in a smile that didn't seem too friendly.

"Maybe we'll meet again."

"Maybe." Natalie gratefully stood up and took the box Mac held out for her. She walked outside and paused as the door swung closed behind her. "You're just spooked because of the photos, Natalie Vega. Just spooked." She took a deep breath and headed back to the station.


	7. Chapter 7

Seeing Red – Part 7

A/N: thanks for all of the encouraging reviews!

>>>>

She knew how it must have shocked John to have seen the body with all that red hair. Imagining his reaction caused her respiration to speed up and she took another sip of her dirty martini. As she sipped she let her tongue briefly touch one of the firm olives bouncing at the bottom of her drink just waiting for her to take it into her mouth. As that word drifted through her hazy consciousness she blew out a long held breath with a hiss even as the drink sent tendrils of warmth through her limbs.

She hated the word "waiting" with a passion. Just as she passionately hated anything she was not good at, could not be better at than other people – which was her definition of being good at something. No score in and of itself, no win, was worth anything to her unless it was at someone else's expense. This was how she could measure it, know it, feel it, prove it. Waiting was never something she was better at, though, so it never became part of her repertoire.

She had never tried hard to be a planner because her impatience always got the best of her and pushing always got results. Except lately, pushing hadn't been working. Like when she was with John, she _knew_ that if she just waited he would tell her he loved her. And ever since she started, well, she couldn't use the word _failing_, facing that difficulty other things in her life started to have some hiccups. Cases lost - ones she probably shouldn't have taken anyway since they were lost causes but her innate goodness and sense of justice wouldn't let her not take, she rationalized. Then her sister showed up in Llanview, not only increasing the chance that people would find out what she really did back in L.A., but practically distracting Antonio from his very improper attraction to her. Other things, difficulties, things she might have normally ignored, took on more importance than they warranted.

And it was all Natalie's fault. Evangeline sucked in and bit into an olive, reveling in the sour taste of the pimento as it spread across her tongue. Her lips pursed from the sour just as a shadow fell across her table.

"Is this seat taken?" A melodious voice asked.

Evangeline looked up to find an older gentleman standing over her. Older, in fact, than she normally went for, but something about the man caused a shaft of arousal between her legs. She shifted, letting the front of her tiger-patterned dress gape open and she held her hand out in introduction. "Evangeline Williamson." She licked her bottom lip and tilted her head up at him.

"Jerry Rider. It's lovely to meet you, though of course I've heard about your stellar legal reputation. What I had not heard about was how utterly delectable you are."

"Thank you." Evangeline's heart fluttered as he sat down across from her at the little table. His knees touching hers and his hard, dark eyes making her feel like a pin up star. She felt a chill run up her spine as she shook her empty glass.

"Let me order you another." He raised his hand and called over a cocktail waitress and ordered another for the lady and a straight gin for himself.

"Straight gin, I've never seen anyone drink that. Usually it's with tonic." Evangeline smiled, proud of what she thought was witty and sexy repartee.

Jerry, however, didn't seem to mind lines that clunked in the night and smiled at her and pretended to enjoy the view of her cleavage.

"Are you new in town?"

"Just visiting."

"What brought you here?"

"Business. Actually, you could say old legal business."

"Really? I'm a criminal attorney. Well, I also dabble in family law. Oh, and anything else that people want to pay me for. I'm really talented."

"I've heard. I was going to ask you to help me." He paused as their drinks were served, his expression never changing as she wrapped her hand around his bicep and said a breathy thank you. "But I wouldn't want to mix business and pleasure, now that I've seen you."

Evangeline smiled and let her hand slid down to his thigh. "Oh, don't be silly. We can do both." She held her breath, waiting to see if he would go for it. She usually wasn't this forward right away, but something about the man told her it was okay. He seemed well groomed, contained, one might even say debonair, rather how she thought of her father, but there was something underneath she sensed as a bit dangerous. Dirty even. It excited her as nothing and no one had, not since she had cornered John McBain in that basement sink.

Capricorn had sinks, she shivered at the thought, her eyes bulging even more.

"Maybe we could. That wouldn't be a breach of attorney ethics?"

"Oh." Evangeline shrugged and tilted her head more. She gave him what she thought of as her little girl smile, never knowing that it actually made it look like she had something in her eye. "I give my all to my clients. It's my obligation to justice."

"Really?" Jerry asked, his eye brows raised in query. "Well, then. Perhaps we can do my business together."

Evangeline smiled and slid her fingers closer to his crotch and took a sip of her fifth martini of the night. Well past actually tasting them, she never noticed this drink tasted just a bit different than the others.

>>>>>

Slow footsteps echoed in the dark.

Clomp.

Clomp.

Clomp.

Natalie shifted in the bed, her foot hitting John's leg.

A sharp point of light appeared and began to grow.

Clomp.

Clomp.

Clomp.

The light got brighter, lighting up the dingy brick walls.

Natalie's breathing sped up.

She and her friends huddled behind the car, street side, counting the cigarettes they had scrounged together. Something, she didn't know what, caught her attention behind her. She got to her knees and peeked around the back of the car. She saw the man walking out of the alley, something shiny in his hand. Not a knife, as she saw there were two pieces. He walked towards her and then looked up, his face lit for a moment by the one working street light as he slid the object into his coat. She ducked back down as he turned and walked past the car they were huddled behind.

"Hey," Natalie called to her friends. "Something's in the alley. I'm gonna look."

"Shouldn't go in the alley, they don't like kids around the drug deals," one of her friends warned.

"Or the hookers," another added.

Natalie shrugged and grabbed her share of the cigarettes, ignoring the complaints from her friends – she knew she'd be ripped off if the divvy went down before she got back. She dropped the sticks in her pocket and straightened her worn corn best she could and walked towards the alley.

"Natalie?"

In the dark she tripped over something, catching herself on the rough pavement and scraping her hands. Checking over her shoulder to make sure no one saw, she quickly hopped up and walked more slowly into the alley looking for whatever it was that had the man with the dark eyes so freaked out. As her eyes adjusted to the light and she covered her nose from the smell, she continued slowly into the alley.

Just around the metal trash cans there was a lump.

Her heart began to beat faster.

"Natalie!"

A hand clamped on her shoulder. With a gasp she struggled from the hand and sat up.

"Hey. It's all right. It's just a dream." He pulled her into his arms and onto his lap.

"John?" Natalie stopped struggling and focused on the man holding on to her. "Shit. You scared the hell out of me."

"Actually, I think that was the dream. You were whimpering and thrashing about. I think my shin will be black and blue in the morning." John kept talking, saying nothing of import, just talking to calm Natalie and bring her out of the dream.

"A dream?" Natalie whispered her arms circling John's neck and her legs circling his waist. "I don't know if that was a dream."

"What do you mean?" John stroked her back. She was wearing the pajama top that matched the bottoms he was wearing.

"It felt so real," she mumbled into his neck.

"Like a memory?" He brushed the hair off her face with one hand, his other hand cupping her back.

"Yeah."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" When she pulled back from his shoulder he cupped her face.

She described to him in halting words what she could remember of the dream that was getting hazier and hazier as she spoke.

"Can you remember what the guy looked like?"

"No. I just remember he had dark eyes, but that could be because it was dark. He seemed so familiar."

"Like he was someone you knew?"

Natalie thought for a moment and then shook her head. She let out a deep breath and whispered a soft "thank you." He smiled softly and continued to toy with her hair. They stared into each other's eyes.

"Can you get back to sleep? Do you want some water?" he asked.

"I don't think I'm ready to go back to sleep yet."

"What do you need?"

Natalie sighed and ran her hand across his shoulder and then to his chest, softly circling his nipple until it hardened from her ministrations. She felt his arousal thicken between her legs and she pressed herself down on him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice gruff with desire.

Natalie nodded and pressed her lips to his chin, then higher, then against his lips. Softly she kissed his lips, little slides, changing angles and timing. She slid her tongue out and tasted him, just a little bit at first, then pressing between his lips to take them both deep.

She felt his heart speed up under the hand still pressed to his chest and her own nipples harden. Moistness flooded between her legs, still John did nothing but allow her ministrations. She began to move her hips back and forth, riding him slowly, urging him on and increasing her own desire.

"John," she whispered in his mouth. "Touch me."

John slid his hands under her top to rest on her hips. His fingers playing slowly up her sides until they touched the curve of her breasts. Her arms twined around his neck and she began to move more urgently over him as he moved along their fullness to brush her straining aureoles.

She pushed forward and knocked him onto his back with an "oomph" from him and an "aaaa" from her.

Their lips never parted, their kisses still deep and unhurried.

His hands slid over the warmth of her back and down until he was cupping her against him. Guiding the movements that down below were getting more urgent.

Feeling her body heat rising he slid one hand between then and began to rub her underneath her panties. He swallowed her squeaks and moans as he played her to the edge then he plunged two fingers inside her, up and in, out, in, reveling in the feel of her pulsing release. His other hand tangled in her hair.

As she came down again he hurriedly pushed her panties and his pants down and plunged himself up and into her. He rolled them over and gasped as her inner muscles grabbed and pulsed around him.

"John. John." Natalie chanted as he felt reason slipping out of their grasps. As the urgent need to be apart of one another was the only thing that mattered. He tasted of her as she pulled and drove at him, spurring his movements faster and deeper.

"I love you."

Those three words, he didn't know who uttered them, sent them both over the edge and spinning into the sky in a burst of color and sensation.

Later, when Natalie lay slumbering beside him, John's mind filled in the image that she couldn't describe. The picture of the dark-eyed animal Natalie had sent to prison all those years ago.


	8. Chapter 8

**Seeing Red – Part 8 **

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I have so many balls in the air right now, it's hard to focus. Thanks for all the feedback.

Summary: D&D were married on Halloween weekend, that same night a red-haired woman was brutally murdered behind Crossroads. It is discovered that Natalie was a witness in a similar murder when she was a little girl back in Atlantic City. She doesn't remember much about it, but it's coming back to her in dreams. John's ex-lover is creepily obsessed with John and Natalie and has just had sexual relations with a new client - a stranger to Llanview? John and Natalie are dating and she's spending most nights at the Hotel with him.

>>>>>>>>>>

Pete "Pretty" Russo was easily identified as a cop. Even walking into a cop shop in another state and miles from the beat he had just retired from after too long riding a desk he looked like he was where he belonged. He was still as trim and fit as he was when he was a beat cop, just more distinguished with his steel grey hair. It was his eyes that gave him away. The brown eyes were sharp and observant and, when it served, compassionate.

"Excuse me, where can I find John McBain?" he asked a uniform who walked him to John's door.

"Well, well, well, Chief of Detectives. Your old man would be proud."

"Pete! Good to see ya." John stood up and shook Pete's hand. Then the two men did the one-armed, clap on back man hug. John reached around and closed his office door and waved Pete over to a guest chair.

"What's this about the old Eichlinger case possibly popping up here?"

"Do remember the witness? A little girl named Natalie Balsom?"

"Yeah." Pete shook his head. "She was a real pistol, but that mother of hers. I tried to get her into foster care, or rather I wanted to but she adamantly refused. I kept tabs on her until she left Atlantic City."

"You were watching over her?" John asked, a smile lightening his face.

"Do you know her?" Pete asked, seeing something in his expression.

"She's Natalie Vega now and my girlfriend."

"You don't say." Pete shook his head and smiled a small smile. Then, quickly sobering up he asked, "So you know that Eichlinger escaped five years ago, what makes you think he's here?"

"This." John passed a file across the desk that Pete took. John leaned back in his chair. As he waited for Pete to review the file he picked up his cell phone and to confirm what he already knew - Natalie hadn't called yet.

She hadn't slept well again last night after learning about the body of the second murdered red-haired girl discovered behind Rodi's so he had insisted that she stay in bed this morning and try to get some sleep. Before he left he assigned a cop to guard and escort her to the station when she was ready.

John got up, ran his hand over his chin and looked out the window of his office even though he couldn't see her desk from here.

"This has all the earmarks of our guy."

"Yeah? I thought so too." John walked back over to his desk. He sat down on the chair next to Pete and leaned in.

"We thought he was in Arizona or someplace warm. I have no idea why he'd risk getting caught by coming here." Pete shook his head. "He always was a sick one. He's out for revenge. Natalie's testimony forced his hand; he had to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty."

"I have a cop protecting her right now. That's all I can authorize at this point until a direct threat is made."

"You love this girl?" Pete observed. "I can't wait to meet her again. And help you keep her safe."

"Thanks, Pete." John's expression was determined.

>>>>>>>>>>

Evangeline sighed and burrowed more comfortably into the soft pillow under her head. "John," she whispered the name as she felt the soreness between her legs. She breathed deeply and then stopped. She opened her eyes and looked around. With a large gasp that made her lightheaded she sat up and looked around, pulling the sheet against her naked bosom. Her head throbbed just a bit, something that had been happening more and more after a night out.

The Palace, she recognized the décor which was not quite what she preferred, but the best this one horse town had to offer. She pulled up a pillow and leaned back against the headboard. She bit her lips and looked around for her client/bed partner. She reached over to pick up the phone to order room service when she discovered a slip of paper.

_Sexy, _

_Please use the facilities, order room service, stay naked in my bed. _

_Whatever you want. I'm going to cut out early from my meetings. _

_Love, _

_Jerry _

The use of the words "love" and "sexy" sent trills down Evangeline's spine and aroused her more than the things…Suddenly Evangeline frowned and put a hand over her breast. What did happen last night? She remembered Jerry, or rather Rider as she teasingly started to call him, walking her out of the bar. She had been feeling a bit lightheaded and he had his arm tenderly around her shoulder. After that, though, things were hazy. Actually completely black.

That, however, was not surprising. That had also been happening a lot more lately. Perhaps Nora was right and she was hitting the martinis too much? But when she was drinking the constant thoughts of John slowed down, eased, she could even forget him for minutes at a time.

"John," she whispered his name and burrowed further into the bed. All thoughts of her day's appointments and her lack of memory of what had happened the night before forgotten.

>>>>>>

"Where can I stay around here?" Pete asked John as he leaned back in his chair, his burger and fries long gone from the plate in front of him.

"Rodi's burgers are why I stayed." John grinned. "Thanks for sticking around."

"It's the least I can do. Retirement isn't sitting to well with me anyway. Golf sucks, but it's all my friends play these days."

John laughed. "I live at the Angel Square Hotel, there's just one thing. The owner is Roxy Balsom."

"Roxy was not my biggest fan."

"She may not even remember you," John said, thinking on how drunk Pete had said Natalie's mother was back then. "Either way, she's still a handful. Not a lot of other options."

"Natalie stay there with you?"

"I was thinking of sending her to stay at Llanfair for her own security." Just then John's phone rang. He checked the caller id before answering. It was Natalie telling him she was on her way to the station. He let Pete know when he got off the phone.

"I finally get to meet the red-head all grown up. Let's go McBain." Pete stood up.

>>>>>>

"What are you doing in here?" Natalie asked as she saw Evangeline reading an open file on John's desk. John, she knew, didn't leave open files on his desk.

"I came to see John about a case," Evangeline said haughtily, not bothering to close the file she was snooping in.

"Well, he's not here so you should be waiting outside his office. Not snooping at confidential police files." Natalie walked over and pulled the file away from Evangeline's grasp and closed it. "Let me show you the defense attorney waiting room."

"There's no such room."

"Yes there is, it's called the clerk's office where you submit your legal requests for information instead of stalking police officers doing their job. On the other hand, I could report your snooping and you could spend some time in a holding cell."

"Well, really!" Evangeline tilted her head and glared at the red-head.

Natalie crossed her arms and stared the skinny lawyer down. With a haughty sniff the spurned woman stalked out of the office. Natalie rolled her eyes and closed the office door behind her.

A few minutes later John and Pete came walking through the side door into John's office. A quick glance told John that someone had been rifling in his desk. He walked over and picked up the file that was lying on top of his desk.

_Cristian Vega – John Doe_

He frowned. Last time he saw this file it had been in his bottom drawer.


	9. Chapter 9

**Seeing Red – 9 **

- >> >> >> >>-

"Did you reorganize the files in my desk?" John stood over Natalie's desk and asked in a quiet voice.

Natalie shook her head. "I found Evangeline snooping in there earlier. I escorted her out."

John frowned and put a hand over his mouth, thinking. "Are you all right?" he shook the concern away for the moment and asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for making me sleep in this morning." She smiled up at him, her eyes daring him to lean down and kiss her in front of the entire squad.

"Natalie." He drew her name out in a long sigh.

"Lieutenant." Natalie teased and toyed with the flower that John had left on her desk this morning.

"Did you eat breakfast? Lunch?" he asked.

Natalie shrugged and her expression got serious and she turned back to her computer.

"Why aren't you eating?" John bent over and leaned in closer.

"I wasn't hungry."

"Natalie." He put his hand on her shoulder.

She bit her lip and turned to look at his concerned face. "I'm starving now. I plan to go get something to eat as soon as I finish placing this order."

"It can wait."

"Actually, it can't. It's for some database information from Washington. It'll take me another two minutes."

John stood up and sighed, rubbed his hands over his face and put his hands on his hips and looked down at his girlfriend. His gut told him that he was missing something going on with her, something big, but he was damned if he could pinpoint it or get her to spill. Maybe, he told himself, it just had to do with this case. When he saw she was done he put his hand on her arm and led her into his office where he had a take out order from Rodi's waiting for her.

"Sit. Eat. And listen," he ordered.

"Thank you." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He slid a hand over her hair and then pressed her gently into the chair he had pulled up to the desk. The desk that was scrupulously clear of any upsetting case files – old or new. He walked around and sat in his chair across from her.

"The officer who worked on the Jersey case is here. Pete Russo, he's an old friend. He was my father's partner."

Natalie looked up, chewing on a fry. "Did I know him?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"You're father's partner? I wish I remembered." She shifted in her seat and looked down at her burger, her earlier hunger waning a bit.

"He's taking a room at the Hotel. I said we could have dinner together."

"John, I don't…Does he know Roxy?" she asked, a smile suddenly threatening to cross her face.

John nodded.

- >> >> >> >>-

"I know you!" Roxy's yell carried across the entire lobby of the Angel Square Hotel. "You're fuzz from AC." She walked around the counter and leaned her back against it and looked up at the clean cut man who was trying to rent a room. "Where do I know you from? Did you arrest me, mistakenly of course, for that bounced check? No? Public drunkenness? Solicitation – which was a total frame by the way."

Not getting satisfaction Roxy leaned over and looked at his signed name. She repeated it out loud and then a bell seemed to go off for her. "You're that cop who wanted to take Natty from me. You can't have a room here! Get the heck out of here!" she pushed at him and he grabbed her hands.

"Listen, lady. I'm here to protect your daughter. That man, the one she put away, well he's out and he's here in Llanview."

"Oh. Well, if you're here to protect my Natty then you get the best room I got, after the one her boyfriend has. Hey, do you know McBain?" Roxy bounced around the counter and picked up at set of keys and set it on the counter.

"I know McBain. Since he was a kid."

"Really?" Roxy leaned on the counter. "Got any good stories?"

"I might have a few."

Roxy grinned up at him.

- >> >> >> >>-

Evangeline stood at the front desk of the Palace waiting for the desk clerk to give her the key her new client told her would be waiting when she saw them walk in – John, Natalie and some old guy she didn't recognize, although he was attractive. She licked her lips and walked away from the desk and closer to the where the three of them were standing. Why weren't they going into the restaurant? Who were they waiting for? She felt a familiar itch as she watched. John was caressing Natalie's back as they talked to the elder man. She could feel that hand on her back. Not that he ever toyed with her so carelessly in public, but when they were alone. She gasped slightly and ran her hand over her hip. When John couldn't get enough of her. His hand toying with the ends of Natalie's red hair was mesmerizing.

Red hair. Red hair. Red hair. The phrase drifted through her mind over and over again. She felt her nipples harden.

"She's watching us again," Natalie murmured to John.

Pete looked over at the woman who was standing in the middle of the hotel lobby clearly watching them. "Who is that?" He frowned, stared back, waiting for her to notice and look away. But she seemed so fixed on Natalie.

"John's ex. I thought you told her to stop that?" Natalie moved closer to John.

"I did." John sighed and made to turn around and speak to her.

"Allow me." Pete walked over to her. "Can I help you?"

Evangeline blinked and focused on the man who was now standing in front of her. Why didn't she see him come over? "No. I'm waiting for someone. Can I help you?" She batted her eyes at him in a way she thought was sexy.

"Do you have something in your eye?" Pete asked, knowing exactly what she was doing. Something about the way she was watching John and Natalie, especially Natalie triggered something in his gut.

"No." Affronted Evangeline straightened up and raised her chin. "May I help you?"

"I was wondering why you were watching my friends so intently. Especially since I understand John McBain has told you quite plainly your relationship with him is over and he's quite happy with Natalie Vega now." Pete felt like he was talking to the working girls on the strip. Was this woman sober?

"I said I was waiting for someone. The door is right behind your friends." She took a breath and tried to force a smile. "How do you know John and Natalie?"

"Old friend from Atlantic City." Pete knew better than to mention his connection to John's father with this woman. He recognized the signs of obsession.

"I don't know what could be keeping my client. I'd best go call up to his room. Good night." She turned on her heels and slinked back to the reception desk.

Pete watched her, wondering if she was meeting her client in the hotel or a hotel room.

- >> >> >> >>-

"You've been quiet since we got back from dinner." John took Natalie's brush and took over brushing her long, fiery hair. Their blue eyes met in the medicine cabinet mirror.

"I liked your friend. I don't remember him, but I trust him."

"He's a good guy and he's always liked you."

"Despite knowing Roxy." Natalie smiled and closed her eyes as his ministrations sent shivers through her body.

"You're so beautiful." John's voice was husky with need, his body taught with it.

Natalie moved back a half step and rubbed herself against him. She murmured his name.

John dropped the brush on the floor and ran his hands over the silk slip covering her body. Over her hips, stomach and back up to her swollen breasts. He cupped her hard nipples and thrust his arousal into her back. Feeling the heat through his sweats Natalie moaned put her hands over John's and pushed her down her hips to her thighs.

Happy to oblige John slipped under her slip and pushed her panties off her hips.


End file.
